Electrical system



B. VARLEY. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED APR.26, 1919.

1,344,463. Patented June 22, 1920.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET I. III N R. VARLEY.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED APR.26. 1919 1,344,463. Patented June 22, 1920.

I 3 $HEET$SHEET 2- m a H I so a v R- VARLEY.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. APPLICATIQIN FILED APR-26 I919.

Patented June 22, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

a INVE/VTUR PATENT OFFICE.

' RICHARD VARLEY, OF ENGIlEWOOD, NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 22 1920 Application filed. April 26, 1919. Serial No. 292,915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD .VARLEY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Englewood, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented ne\ and useful Improvements in Electrical Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of the specification.

This invention is an electrical system and although not limited to any particular use, its object is the provision of an ignition system and apparatus for internal combustion engines, whereby firing of the gas charge is improved at all speeds of the engine and particularly at high speeds; the

electrical energy is conserved, and such equipment is employed as makes for the minimum number of parts and flexible yet simple and unified control or adjustment.

I accomplish. this by the mechanism shown in the accompanying drawings, which are largely diagrammatic of my invention,

and to which reference may be had in connection with the following description, so that others skilled in the art may understand and construct the same, it being premised that changes may bemade therein without departing from the essential character thereof.

Figure l is a diagrammatic view of an ignition system showing an arrangement employing a plu'ality of transformer elements associated with a single magneto; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the system as including also a source of battery current; and Fig. 3 is a similar view of a modified arrangement of the systems of Figs. 1 and 2, all views to be hereinafter more fully described and the invention of this application particularly pointed out in the claims.

The systems shown are such as to provide for firing a single spark in each engine cylinder while the engine is running slowly or for firing simultaneously two sparks in each cylinder while the engine is running at high speed and the invention consists primarily in providing an engine speed controlling device. such as a mechanism for advancing and retarding the spark. by means of which the system will operate to tire either a single spark or two sparks simultaneously depending upon the posi tion to which the speed controlling device may be adjusted.

The devices of Fig. l, comprise transformer units 2 and 3 having individual breakers 4: and and distributors 6 and 7 respectively. The transformers comprise in each case a closed core 2 having primary windings 8 and 9 grounded and in circuit with a winding 10 of a generator 10; the coils 9 being normally short circuited through the contacts 11 and 12 of the breakers 4 and The coils 8 always remain in circuit with the generator winding 10, except as hereafter stated, so that when the coil 9 in each case is closed upon itself through the breakers 4: and 5, the coil 8 maintains an active body of flux which tends to leak across the sides of the transformer upon the choke set up in the leg 9 by the closed circuit of the coil 9. Interruption of the short circuit of the coils 9 by opening of the circuit breaker contacts causes the repressed active body of flux to assume the normal path of the closed core. The rate of change is high and as the transformer remains connected in the generator circuit, a high potential sparking current is set up in the secondary windings 13 leading to distributors 6 and 7.

An optional switch 1 may be used to cut out the respective transformer element 2, while in the circuit of the winding 8 of the other element 3 a switch 15 comprising contacts 16 and 1'? which open and close upon movement of the spark adjusting mechanism 18 assoc' tted with the generator 10 that supplies the transformer elements. The arrangement is such that the circuit of the winding 8 of transformer 3 is open and the transformer thc-refore clectricall y cut out when toe spark adjusting device is in retard position; the said device having a button or projection 19 that forces the spring contact 17 away from the contact 16 upon movement (if the spark adjusting device to retard position.

is shown, the spark adjusting mechanism may include shifting pole pieces .20 whereby the peak of the current wave is coincident-1y adjusted with the time of the spark period, as is uncerstood. by those skilled in the art. so that the single transformer 2 upon slow speeds of the engine and both transforn'ier elements upon advanced speeds of the engine, receive effective current from the generator 10 An advantage of the system is that very effective magneto ignition is available at high speeds, in a system using double firing.

without sacrificing the requirements of the low speeds; saving in wear and tear in the apparatus, and unit operation.

In Fig. 2 like parts are indicated by like reference characters and the description of mary transformer circuits through ground contact 24 when the transformer leg member 22 is closed upon the transformer. The numeral 25 indicates a battery having in circuit a contact 26 and an optional cut out switch 27.

When the leg member 22 is moved on its pivot so that it opens the transformer core or metallic circuit, contact 23 engages contact 26 and contact 17 disengages contact 21 with the result that the battery 25 is placed in circuit with the winding 9 or the transformer leg 9 and its interrupter mechanism 4, While the circuit of the winding 8 is interrupted by opening of the switch contacts 17 and 21. In this arrangement it will be seen that the other transformer element 2 remains connected to the generator 10" through the contacts 16 and 17" while the transformer element 3 is connected in the battery circuit, so that while battery ignition is available for starting and slow speeds, the transformer2 is also available at all generative speeds to energize its respective spark points.

In Fig. 3 I show the systems of Fig. 2,

as having a cam member 28 so connected to the spark adjusting mechanism as to operate the leg member 22 of transformer to interrupt the magneto generator circuit to the coil 8 and cut in thebattery 25'to the coil 9 when the spark lever or device 18 is retarded. By shifting the spark device 18. to a position just beyond normal spark position, as indicated by the dotted lines 18, the cam'28 will swing the leg memwhich has a separate set of spark plugs,

movable means for obtaining spark advance and retard, and a switch device associated with said movable means and adapted to render one of the said elements ineffective at spark retard.

2. A magneto generator, a battery, two transformer elements, means for connecting said elements in circuit with the magneto generator and for disconnecting one of said elements from the generator and placing it in circuit with the battery, comprising spark adjusting means.

3. The combination of two transformers both of which are adapted to supply ignition sparks to the cylinders of an explosive engine, means for simultaneously adjusting the timing of the sparks and rendering one.

or both of said transformers operative.

4. The combination of two transformers, two sets of ignition circuits supplied respectively by the secondary windings of said transfonners, means for adjusting, in the cycle of operations, the time of the current flow in the ignition circuits and simultaneously rendering one or both of said transformers operative.

5. The combination of two transformers both of which are adapted to supply ignition sparks to the cylinders of an explosive engine, a magneto generator adaptedv to supply current to said transformers and a spark timing device adapted when adjusted for one speed to cut out one transformer and when adjusted for another speed to restore the cut out transformer to operative condition.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set m hand.

y RICHARD VARLEY. 

